Pilot was awarded US$777,000 for safely landing the plane after his co-pilot was ‘sucked halfway’ out cockpit window

A Sichuan Airlines pilot has been awarded nearly US$776,912 for calmly landing the flight 3U8633 after his co-pilot was partially sucked out of the cockpit window on May 15, 2018.

The Chinese pilot, Liu Chuanjian, was awarded the nearly five million yuan and the title of “hero captain of China’s civil aviation.” An airbus A319 carrying 119 passengers was cruising at an altitude of 32,000 feet, the right windshield broke loose and a deafening sound tore through the cabin.

The pilot saw his co-pilot was partially sucked out and said “i noticed, my co-pilot had been sucked halfway out of the window” he added “everything in the cockpit was floating in the air. Most of the equipment malfunctioned — and I couldn’t hear the radio.”

The Captain Liu Chuanjian took control of the situation, and safely landed the plane.

The Captain Liu Chuanjian received five million yuan (US$776,912), the second in command, Liang Peng, was awarded two million yuan (US$312,456), 27-year-old co-pilot Xu Ruichen, received one million yuan, (US$156,228), and six other crew members were given one million yuan between them.